This invention relates to method and apparatus for handling workpieces and more particularly to collecting, conveying and releasing molded parts to a temperature-conditioning chamber.
In copending application Ser. No. 418,075, filed Nov. 21, 1973, now Pat. No. 3,894,835, assigned to the present assignee, there is disclosed a high speed, high volume system for temperature-conditioning workpieces such as elongated, thermoplastic, molded parts in order to bring them to molecular orientation temperature prior to reshaping into articles such as containers. In such disclosed system, a plurality of parts are supported in parallel in bar assemblies sequentially presented to a loading station and then passed through a chamber containing a suitable heat transfer means. The system has numerous advantages as therein disclosed, a major one being minimum contact of the parts with the components of the apparatus. The need is apparent for a system with a similar scope of advantages, broadly applicable to the handling of workpieces in general, and specifically to elongated, molded, thermoplastic parts upstream of a temperature-conditioning station such as that disclosed in the previously mentioned copending application.